By Vinay Rao
The whispers inside Hyderabad cricket circles are no longer whispers. They are turning into uncomfortable questions.
Across club offices, dressing rooms, and practice grounds, a growing sentiment is hardening — that the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) administration seems more invested in power equations and patronage than in performance and grassroots growth.
This isn’t about one match.
This isn’t about one selection controversy.
This is about priorities.
Felicitation for Authority. Silence for Achievement.
An international cricketer swiftly steps forward to felicitate the HCA President — whose very appointment is under legal challenge. The event is organised. Speeches are delivered. Optics are managed. Cameras flash.
Efficiency at its finest.
But when it came to honouring the boys who rewrote history by winning the Vinod Mankad Trophy after 37 long years — silence.
When Hyderabad’s own Aaron George, who contributed to India’s Under-19 World Cup triumph, returned — no grand stage.
When rising global names like Tilak Varma and Mohammed Siraj elevated Hyderabad’s cricketing reputation across international arenas — no ceremonious embrace from the association.
No celebration.
No urgency.
No visible institutional pride.
And that raises a question now echoing through pavilions:
Are we celebrating positions more than performances?
Has the centre of gravity shifted from cricket to politics?
The Curious Case of Vanishing Club Funds
If symbolic neglect wasn’t enough, the financial episode has made matters worse.
Funds approved by both the Apex Council and the Ombudsman — intended for clubs — were reportedly released, only to be abruptly withdrawn.
For many clubs, this was not “just money.”
It was lifeline support.
These are institutions that have kept Hyderabad cricket alive long before administrators held office. Clubs that operate on volunteer spirit. Secretaries who dig into personal savings. Coaches who buy kits from their own pockets. Grounds maintained with sweat equity, not glamour budgets.
When sanctioned funds are pulled back without clarity, the message feels blunt:
Clubs can wait.
Power cannot.
The contrast is stark.
Administrative appointments move at lightning speed.
Grassroots support crawls — or reverses.
The Real Foundation of Hyderabad Cricket
Administrators don’t produce cricketers.
Ecosystems do.
Before a Mohammed Siraj steams in at Lord’s, there was a dusty local ground.
Before a Tilak Varma dazzles in the IPL, there were early morning bus rides.
Before a World Cup medal, there were unpaid coaching hours and borrowed gear.
Clubs are not peripheral stakeholders.
They are the nursery.
If that nursery begins to feel ignored, undermined, or financially squeezed, the consequences won’t be immediate — but they will be inevitable.
Because talent does not thrive in atmospheres of distrust.
Optics Over Substance?
The optics today are troubling.
Felicitations for those in authority.
Delays for those who perform.
Funds stalled for those who build.
It creates a perception — fair or not — that the administration is more comfortable organising ceremonies than strengthening structures.
Cricket associations exist for one purpose: to serve the game.
Not to serve positions.
Not to curate optics.
Not to reward loyalty networks.
If clubs start feeling like optional accessories instead of foundational pillars, the ecosystem weakens quietly.
And when ecosystems weaken, decline is rarely dramatic.
It is slow.
It is silent.
It is avoidable.
The Loudest Sound Is Silence
Today in Hyderabad cricket, the loudest noise isn’t coming from stadium crowds.
It is coming from the silence where applause should have been.
Silence for a historic U-19 triumph.
Silence for World Cup contributors.
Silence for the grassroots.
The grapevine is asking a simple question:
If performance doesn’t command priority, what does?
Hyderabad cricket has produced international stars, resilient clubs, and unforgettable moments. It deserves an administration that matches that spirit — not one that appears distracted by power equations.
Because in sport, reputations are not built by ceremonies.
They are built by recognising the ones who sweat for the badge.
And right now, many in Hyderabad cricket are wondering whether the badge still recognises them.
very good article, daring exposure of HCA.
Excellent 👌🏼